The Proposal Menagerie
Every proposal team member brings something different to the table. This quiz identifies your natural archetype, how you show up when things are running smoothly, and your override: the version of you that takes the wheel under pressure.
Find My Archetype →Most assessments tell you who you are when things are going well. But we all know that ideal scenarios are rare in proposals. This quiz goes one step further. It provides your primary archetype, or how you naturally show up on a proposal team when things are great. AND your override, who you become when the deadline moves up, the SME goes dark, and the bid is at risk. Knowing both changes how you work.
Your natural mode. The strengths you bring when the process is working and the team has what it needs. This is your baseline.
When deadlines compress and things break, a different version of you shows up: your override. We can look at this as a strength as well, but also want to recognize any negative patterns that show up (it's normal under stress to not feel like ourselves).
From the Octopus running ten workstreams to the Owl catching every flaw. There is a role for how you naturally work.
"I fixed it before anyone knew it was broken."
"Your calendar shows you're free at 2. You're not anymore."
"We can have a feelings meeting after we win."
"Good enough is not a scoring criteria."
"There is a tracker for this. There has always been a tracker for this."
"I know I said I was done, but I need to make one more change."
"I made it work. Don't ask me to document how."
"I have a folder for this. I have a folder for everything."
"The data is not the story. The story is why the data matters."
Creator, The Proposal Menagerie
I didn't set out to build a framework for proposal teams, but as things go, I had an idea one day. An idea that became a meme I posted to LinkedIn (this is how all great ideas start, right?). But then I thought it might be bigger than a meme, and eventually it became the Proposal Menagerie.
The Proposal Menagerie is built on the notion that proposals don't get better just because there are processes, but because there are people behind them who refuse to let them fail. I'm exploring how teamwork on proposal teams shapes outcomes, both when everything is working and when it isn't, how our stress responses shape our proposal responses, and what we actually need to thrive. With nearly seven years in proposals across accounting, services, and cybersecurity, I've been every archetype at least once. I'm sure you have, too.
I've been building my network on LinkedIn with the intention of connecting with proposal professionals. Both to learn from and collaborate with. The conversations I've had there, alongside some of the sharpest minds in the industry, shaped a lot of how I think about what proposal teams actually need.
The Proposal Menagerie is still growing, and so is the conversation around it. If you've ever wondered why your team clicks under pressure or completely falls apart, you're already asking the right questions. Stick around. We're just getting started.
Connect with me on LinkedIn